I was a little curious, so I asked the female staff member about what would happen if this elevator broke down and how we would go up and down between floors. To my surprise, the answer I received was that people who couldn’t escape from high places on their own in an emergency wouldn’t be allowed to ascend to the upper floors in the first place. Hmm, I see, this is the Adventurer Guild’s headquarters after all. Even here, it’s a meritocracy.
“Pawn.”
A soft mechanical sound echoed in the elevator.
“We have arrived at the top floor. Please come this way.”
It seems the disc we rode on safely reached our destination floor without any accidents. With this, the need to climb up the outer wall was gone.
Since the building’s structure narrows on the upper floors, the top floor is said to only contain the Guild President’s office. After exiting the elevator and walking a short distance down the passage, the Guild President’s office was right in front of us.
“Kelvin-sama, it may be strange for me, a mere guild staff member, to say this, but I have just one piece of advice. The Guild President is the guild’s hardest worker, but at the same time, they are truly a free spirit and completely unpredictable. Therefore, it might be best not to expect a conventional reception…”
“Ah, about that, it’s fine. I don’t expect normalcy or conventionality when dealing with S-Rank Adventurers, not at all.”
“Wow, Kelvin-kun, you have the most radiant smile today~”
Right? I’m confident about that too.
“Oh, is that so? Perhaps it’s because you are both S-Ranks that something connects you…?”
Hey, staff member. Even if you say it in a whisper, I can hear you perfectly from this distance. And if I had to say, the answer is no. Because all S-Ranks are twisted in their own unique ways. Ah, wait, perhaps only Pritia and Glostina have a twisted nature that connects them. My apologies, my apologies.
“Well then, I will take my leave. Also, just in case, could you please wait until I have descended before opening this door? It’s for safety.”
“For safety? Uh, what does that mean?”
“For my safety! As I mentioned earlier, I truly don’t know what kind of welcome the Guild President will give! Please, please!”
“…Understood.”
What in the world is going to happen here? Even if I look at Ange with such a gaze, I only get a wry smile in return. Ah, wait. Even I, oblivious as I am, can sense that something is up.
“Well then, I’m really leaving now! Please, really wait until I’ve descended!”
The staff member emphasized her request repeatedly and disappeared into the elevator. What kind of trauma must she be carrying?
“Alright, it looks like I’ve safely returned to the first floor. Now, let’s go meet this rumored Guild President.”
“Indeed! Here, Kelvin-kun, you go first!”
“…You know, aren’t you standing quite far back?”
“Ahaha, it must be your imagination~, surely.”
As I stood before the door to the Guild President’s office, Ange was not just a few steps back, but about ten steps behind me. At this point, it’s so blatant that it reveals the unfolding events.
“Well, it’s fine… Excuse me. Kelvin Celsius.”
However, my counterpart is the highest authority in the Adventurer Guild. I couldn’t afford to be impolite. Tapping lightly on the door, I announced my name politely.
“Oh, you’ve arrived~. I’ve been waiting~. Come in, come in, the door is open, so feel free to enter.”
The voice that replied from beyond the door was, surprisingly, a light, feminine one. Although the final words were somewhat commanding, it gave the impression of playfulness rather than arrogance. Even as I felt puzzled, Ange remained incredibly far back, and well, I had no choice but to enter.
“Then, I shall take you up on your word—”
As I placed my hand on the door, which was elaborately decorated with wood, and pulled it open halfway with a *gacha*, I sensed a tremendous surge of hostility exploding from ahead.
“—Kiiieeeeeeerrrr! For Riod’s revenge—!”
“What was that!?”
Something was charging towards me from the front. No, it was swung. Judging by the sound of it cutting through the air, the weapon belonged to the greatsword category. I should block it with my Black Staff— No, that seems dangerous!
“Ugh, this is quite the spectacle. Guild President, you’re really doing as promised…!”
Ange, who was in a state of complete transparency using her Unique Skill, said something, but I didn’t have the余裕 to listen at the moment. The unleashed attack slammed into me along with the half-open door, and a deafening roar echoed throughout the entire floor. The seemingly expensive door was shattered into pieces, and although Ange was safe due to her ability, the passage behind her was also in a terrible state.
“Ah, as expected of a rising S-Rank Adventurer. And Kelvin-kun, who defeated a god. Perhaps you couldn’t defeat my favorite weapon, which I ‘borrowed’ from the Creator before retiring. What a shame, what a shame.”
“What’s a shame, Guild President? I almost died!”
Although I was sent flying into the wall of the passage, I only sustained injuries that cost me about a third of my HP. I can heal it immediately, so it’s practically as good as being unharmed. And the Guild President, the one in question, was just emerging from the dust created by the impact.
“Nice to meet you, Kelvin the ‘Grim Reaper.’ I am the Adventurer Guild’s— uh, which generation am I again… Well, it doesn’t matter! I am the Guild President of some generation, Shin Reinihart, the ‘Unfettered.’ I am also the master of Riod, whom you killed, but what’s done is done! May we have a long and prosperous relationship!”
“…I have many things I’d like to say, but well, yes. Likewise, may we have a long and prosperous relationship.”
“Kelvin-kun, I might not have told you yet, but the Guild President was the previous 5th Apostle of God, ‘The Foreseer.’ I only met them in person for the first time the other day…”
With the shout during the surprise attack, I had a feeling. You even politely called me Riod. Also, I didn’t battle Riod, so I couldn’t have killed him.
“Ah, it’s better without all those stuffy words, isn’t it? It makes work feel less like work… I think! Don’t you agree, Kelvin-kun, Ange-kun?”
“I’m not sure how to respond to being asked for agreement… More importantly, the bullet the Guild President fired from that weapon is still emitting a strange gas, isn’t it? It’s purple, and it looks seriously dangerous.”
Shin, the Guild President, gave me a wonderful greeting right off the bat. The greatsword (?) had a muzzle on its blade that fired bullets. It’s a wonderful specification to also unleash bullets along with slashes. The bullets were clearly mixed with poison, so I focused all my efforts on dodging them, and only put minimal defense into the slashes. It’s slightly similar to the bayonet Gerard has, perhaps because, as Shin Reinihart mentioned earlier, it was originally a product of Zildra.
“Ah, well, it’s called the ‘Hazard Cluster’ greatsword for a reason. It apparently scatters potent toxins from its bullet-shaped emitter, to the point where it can even affect the wielder. It’s what you’d call a failed product! Kufufu!”
“No, it’s not ‘kufufu’! What kind of thing are you using right in the middle of Headquarters?!”
“Eh? But Kelvin-kun, you’re a White Magic user, right? Even a poison that could instantly kill a small village can be removed with magic, can’t it? Come on, remove it quickly. I and Kelvin-kun can withstand it for a while, and Ange-kun can just pass through the poison, but if it reaches the lower floors, it’ll be a disaster. Hurry, hurry, poison won’t wait!”
“……”
“Kelvin-kun, let’s think about it later. The Guild President has always been like this, and, well, even the Analyst during their time as an Apostle-in-training had a terrible time.”
I see. If Riod caused trouble, then for the regular staff, it must have been a traumatic experience.
